The Biblical hero, Abraham, from Ur of the Chaldees, lived a long and remarkable life. Perhaps that’s why so much of Genesis is devoted to both his shortcomings and his successes. The trials and tribulations Abraham experienced have much to teach us, particularly if we study his life with a goal of learning from it.
Moses was meticulous in compiling the Genesis record, and Chapters 11-25 focus on Abraham’s actions and decisions in great detail, compared with the majority of the individuals whose lives are included in the 66 books of the Bible. God inspired these details to be preserved for many reasons, including the covenant of the promised heir, the covenant of circumcision, the sacrificial test, the promised land, blessings for obedience, and more.
Although I have read and studied the life of Abraham in the past, I spent some time this year to consider why he was chosen by God and why the events of his remarkable life still resound with us today. I asked God to reveal to me what Abraham’s history has to teach me about faith, trust, and obedience. The results of this intensive study became “12 lessons from Abraham.” It is my pleasure to share these lessons with you. Would you humbly pray that God would open your heart and mind as you also read and study the Bible and this guide so that you can see what God has to teach you through his faithful servant, Abraham?
Prayer
Father God, You are holy and righteous. There is no other God but You. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Thank you, too, for your Word. Your word is true and living and is preserved for us to study so that your people can know You.
As You guided your servant Abraham, please guide and direct my heart, mind, and soul to focus on what you have to teach me. May I learn to be obedient from the life of Abraham. May I learn to trust you fully so that I can obey all that you would require of me. May I grow in my faith each day as I study Your Word. May I hide Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You.
Help me to glorify You in all I do. These things I humbly pray in the Holy name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Abraham’s Family Tree
Abraham descended from Shem, who was the middle son of Noah’s three sons. (Genesis refers to Japheth as “the elder” in Gen 10:21, and Ham as the youngest in Gen 9:24). According to the Genesis account of the flood, none of Noah’s sons’ wives bore children until after the flood. We have no explanation for this detail, but I would speculate that (1) due to the increasingly violent society, the sons didn’t marry until later, or (2) building the ark was so all-encompassing that they had little time for their wives and starting a family, or (3) God ordained it. All three of these suggestions as a group might explain this phenomenon, but most particularly that God ordained it. If Noah had been gathering supplies to build and furnish the ark, there may not have been a plan for anyone other than the eight of them, that is, Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their wives, and the animals.
God’s Command
After the flood, however, God commanded them to multiply and fill the earth.
Genesis 10:1 reads: “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and unto them were sons born after the flood.” Shem’s first child came two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10). It is from his line that Abraham was born of Terah, nine generations later.
It is interesting to note here that the lifespans of individuals were now in decline since the time before the flood. Based on these genealogical records in Genesis, Shem was said to have lived 600 years (compared to Noah’s 950 years) and was believed to have been alive at the time Abraham and his brothers, and even Isaac, were born. Being alive meant that Shem had the opportunity to pass on his faith to his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and beyond. What a blessing to be able to positively influence your family’s future generations!
Shem’s Blessing
After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard, and “he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.” Gen 9:21 All three of his sons discovered him in his drunken stupor, but Ham looked on his nakedness, while Shem and Japheth, turned away, and backed up to their father with a garment to cover him with, and never looked upon his nakedness. When Noah awoke and realized what had happened, he was ashamed and angry, particularly with Ham. In fact, he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham, while he blessed Shem and Japheth for their quick thinking. It is interesting to study the actual words Noah used, because they reveal something of the character of his three sons. When Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan, he said that Canaan would be a servant of servants unto his brethren. Noah must have felt that Ham (through his son) deserved to “grovel” for what he had done. Similarly, Noah must have felt that Shem was the most righteous, for he proclaimed, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” Noah’s blessing on Japheth stated, “God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” The addition of servitude for Canaan in both Shem’s and Japheth’s blessings may have been because Noah hoped in serving his elders Canaan would learn from their example.
Lesson 1
Why are these details important in our study of Abraham? God puts us in families for a reason. He knows us before we are born and knows every detail of our lives. Families shape and mold us, but not every family member, even under the best circumstances, will live righteously.So, we come to our first lesson, which is: It is important to pass down your faith to your descendants for you do not know the future or the plans God has for them.
From Peggy's Pen 